The story of A Jealous Woman is one of faith, hope and charity: faith in the horse, hope for the future, and charity to mankind.

Owned by two retired mailmen who race as the Three Cent Stable and
trained by true believer Francis Meza and assisted by her husband,
Eddie, A Jealous Woman seeks her second straight stakes win in Monday’s
Presidents’ Day feature, the Grade II, $150,000 guaranteed Buena Vista
Stakes for older fillies and mares at one mile on turf.

A Jealous Woman has been trained by Francis for just over a year,
since the 7-year-old California-bred mare recovered from a bowed tendon
suffered in March of 2010.

The chestnut daughter of Muqtarib bred by Denise Kim Thorson and part
owner Nick Tamborrino was second in the Goldikova on Breeders’ Cup day
last Nov. 4, then made her 2013 debut with a courageous neck victory
under regular rider Brice Blanc in the Megahertz Stakes at one mile on
turf Jan. 19.

“Right now, she’s at her peak. She’s at her best,” Francis said.
“Last Tuesday she worked five furlongs on the grass in a bullet 59 flat
with Brice up. He always works her.”

A Jealous Woman is owned by Richard Reid of Arcadia and Tamborino,
who were mailmen for 30 years before turning their focus to racing.
“We’re just little guys enjoying the game,” Reid said.

Francis has been a pastor for the past 20 years, a time during which
she learned the ropes walking horses for trainers Richard Mandella and
Craig Lewis. She also worked eight years for the California Thoroughbred
Trainers organization.

“We got involved when we were counseled by the racing chaplaincy
about 21 years ago,” said Eddie, chaplain for the Race Track Chaplaincy
of America, and brother of former jockey Rafael Meza. “We got counseled
by the Race Track Chaplaincy and thanks to them and God, it changed our
lives completely.

“Our marriage was broken, but we were not ready to give up on it or
the race track industry, so we challenged ourselves, to leave the past
and try to do better for everybody. When challenging situations come our
way, we look for the best.

“A Jealous Woman was a challenge for us. Three Cent Stable gave us
the opportunity to bring her back to health and she responded really
well for us. I mention it to the owners all the time that she’s one in a
million.

“Being involved with horses for the last 35 years, you don’t see them
come back from these kind of tendon injuries. Now, A Jealous Woman is
100 percent. I’m not talking 90, 80 percent. You look at her, you don’t
know what tendon was injured.

“Even when an injury like that heals, usually horses go down a level.
They go lower. Before she would run (a mile in) 1:34 and change, 1:35.
Now she’s running 1:33 (her time for winning the Megahertz)
consistently. That’s out of this world.

“And the attitude that she has, she doesn’t look like a 7-year-old
mare. She looks like a 3-year-old filly. She’s a joy to have in the
barn. It’s opened up a lot of doors in different areas. Now we have a
stable of over 20 horses.”